Erin Chambers did not waste any time becoming the new Great Northwest conference all-time career scoring champion.
The Simon Fraser University senior scored a career-high 41 points to lead the Clan women’s basketball team to an 82-75 win over Saint Martin’s and smash former Montana State Billings Bobbi Knudson’s 2014 career record by 11 points in Saturday’s conference win.
Chambers, the current NCAA Division II scoring leader, went into the game needing just 30 points to tie the conference career mark, following a 19-point effort earlier in the week in SFU’s 68-45 loss to Western Oregon on Feb. 12.
“The Western Oregon game was terrible, no excuses. But I don’t think about the numbers, I just like to play the game,” Chambers said.
The Clan forward now holds the Great Northwest career record with 1,842 points and counting. With three regular season games still to play, Chambers has a real possibility of surpassing 1,900 points in her NCAA career.
Chambers’ 41 points was also the third-highest single-game point total in program history.
Canadian Olympian and Clan Hall of Fame member Teresa Gabriele holds the school record of 45 points set in 2002 against Trinity Western University.
Another Olympian and Clan hall of famer Michelle Hendry of New Westminster scored 42 points against Central Washington in 1990 in NAIA play.
“Getting the record was amazing, but to me to be held up with Teresa and Michelle, who were such great players, is amazing,” Chambers added.
Chambers hit 13 of 23 field goals in the game and 13-for-16 free throws.
Senior guard Katie Lowen chipped in with 15 points and Meg Wilson added a double-double, with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“Erin shot the ball extremely well with tight defence on her all night. It was nice to see her get the record and win the game,” said SFU head coach Bruce Langford in a Clan press release.
With the win, SFU improved its conference record to 9-6 and clinched a berth in the Great Northwest playoffs.
Earlier, the Clan scored a season-low 45 points in a 13-point loss against last-place Western Oregon.
SFU made good on just five of 24 shots from the floor in the first and finished with under 30 per cent shooting.
Only Chambers shot in double figures for the Clan.
SFU will play its final home game of the season this Saturday against Alaska Fairbanks.
Conference leader Alaska Anchorage will be in town on Thursday to take on the Clan.
“It’s going to be weird. It feels like I just started, but it’s over now,” said Chambers, who plans to continue playing basketball in Europe and hopefully with the Canadian women’s national program after graduation.
“Basketball is not over for me. I want to keep involved in the game,” she said.
But Chambers still has plenty of work to do, helping the Clan prepare for the NCAA post season and a shot at making it to the Div. II national championships.
“Every single night my goal is to do my best,” Chambers said. “I’m a big competitor. I don’t like to take days off.”
